Not only would I not accept that gig, I would not give that club my my patronage.
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Gig "offer", they still do this??
- Thread starter JMacBass65
- Start date
I looked at the Website and I bet you a nickel that your sound guy will be DJ Sky High!
That was my first thought. The soundguy isn't getting $300, that's what the venue is telling you he's getting.
How much you want to bet that "booking agent" is nothing more than a friend of a few club owners or the bartender's brother-in-law?
yea dude, tell them that you'll totally do it. For an undisclosed % of food and drinks... after your band is paid $300 per member to cover travel expenses and use of your equipment. When they laugh at you just say "yea dude, its hysterical that somebody would ask that, right?"
On facebook, their three band 'Total Tribute Live' on July 14 shows 7 people going and 22 'interested'! Its like selling out 4 days at Madison Square Garden! 
Wonder how they can afford three different bands in one night? Well, I think we know.
Its been some decades since I played in a bar, and I was just glad to do it back then. I recall at the end of each night the little theater put on by the bandleader and the bar owner as they waved a small packet of dollar bills and explained that the take that evening was unexpectedly too small for us to get paid the agreed upon amount. Thanks to folks posting here about how the same thing is done today in a more sophisticated manner. This gig sounds like plenty of 'pay to play' potential.
PS. I had an acquaintance who did boxing promotion and I recall at the end of a fight he put on at a casino, he was begging for the agreed upon amount to be paid to him--wonder if he ever got it. So, even if the agreed upon amount is good, possession is 9/10 of the law...
Wonder how they can afford three different bands in one night? Well, I think we know.Its been some decades since I played in a bar, and I was just glad to do it back then. I recall at the end of each night the little theater put on by the bandleader and the bar owner as they waved a small packet of dollar bills and explained that the take that evening was unexpectedly too small for us to get paid the agreed upon amount. Thanks to folks posting here about how the same thing is done today in a more sophisticated manner. This gig sounds like plenty of 'pay to play' potential.
PS. I had an acquaintance who did boxing promotion and I recall at the end of a fight he put on at a casino, he was begging for the agreed upon amount to be paid to him--wonder if he ever got it. So, even if the agreed upon amount is good, possession is 9/10 of the law...
An other possibility regarding the soundguy that no one is considering:
1) venue's sg sucks
2) band likes this other sg but s/he charges $3h min w/o his rig and they want to sound- not good- great.
Non-useless soundguys know that they don't suck, and they €harge!
I'd like to think that any bl of mine has the nads to say to any gig "my guys are pros. It's a hundo per guy due on arrival. Yeah, on arrival- don't be expecting my bassist to wanna sit around waiting till two to find out the door guy somehow didn't count half of the entrants. We are there to get them pumped up for y'all. We're doing a job. We're getting paaaayiiid."
1) venue's sg sucks
2) band likes this other sg but s/he charges $3h min w/o his rig and they want to sound- not good- great.
Non-useless soundguys know that they don't suck, and they €harge!
I'd like to think that any bl of mine has the nads to say to any gig "my guys are pros. It's a hundo per guy due on arrival. Yeah, on arrival- don't be expecting my bassist to wanna sit around waiting till two to find out the door guy somehow didn't count half of the entrants. We are there to get them pumped up for y'all. We're doing a job. We're getting paaaayiiid."
Agreed on that last paragraph 100%. My old band had a scumbag promoter/booker/cokehead/soundguy try changing the amounts of pay AFTER we played. Amazing how far a little bit of physical contact goes.On facebook, their three band 'Total Tribute Live' on July 14 shows 7 people going and 22 'interested'! Its like selling out 4 days at Madison Square Garden!
Its been some decades since I played in a bar, and I was just glad to do it back then. I recall at the end of each night the little theater put on by the bandleader and the bar owner as they waved a small packet of dollar bills and explained that the take that evening was unexpectedly too small for us to get paid the agreed upon amount. Thanks to folks posting here about how the same thing is done today in a more sophisticated manner. This gig sounds like plenty of 'pay to play' potential.
PS. I had an acquaintance who did boxing promotion and I recall at the end of a fight he put on at a casino, he was begging for the agreed upon amount to be paid to him--wonder if he ever got it. So, even if the agreed upon amount is good, possession is 9/10 of the law...
From what I read about Led Zeppelin, their manager being intimidating and aggressive with promoters was very helpful to them financially.
Meanwhile, back at the blue fox, there is this:
PSS: Just remembered, the very first gig my garage band did was a high school dance. Some of the band guys kind of forced me to hire a friend to bring in a pa system--over my objections. Well, it blew a fuze on song one and did nothing the rest of the set, and that jagoff still insisted on getting paid--the rest of the band agreed over my objections. Needless to say, he got most of our money. Pisses me off just to remember it.
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Agreed. The people that pull that sort of stuff are usually just betting on most band backing down right away... so if you dont, they just pay up and move along.
This place does. The house gets 20% and the sound guy gets $120. The band gets the leftovers. Place only holds about 180 people and ticket prices are usually $7 pre show or $10 at the door.
Drink, Dine, and Live Music at Villain & Saint - Bethesda MD
The only time I've ever heard of paying $300 for sound and lights is when a venue didn't have a FOH PA and required the band to provide one. If it's a house system no place I ever played paid $300 for someone to mix the band.
Sounds to me like the "headliner" is booking a Pay For Play gig and wants you guys involved to pick up some of that $300 cost. There's a lot more data needed before anyone could reasonably decide one way or another but it doesn't sound attractive to me.
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If I agree to open for another band, I assume I'm going to make nothing. Anything above that is gravy. I would never pay to open, but if it's a good opportunity I'd do it. My band hires lights and sound and it's usually $300-$400 per gig, so I don't have a problem with that aspect.
The real question is, "What do you get out of this?"
The real question is, "What do you get out of this?"
There are some great responses to my OP. Everyone has basically thrown up the same flags I have, but have also positioned some of the issues in a different way, which I found useful. I have had a few additional text conversations with my drummer (the guitar player seems to have decided to sit out the discussion).
I summed up my objections to him as follows:
- Why does the soundman get a guarantee and we don't?
- I object to paying for someone I didn't have a hand in hiring.
- What happens if the door doesn't cover his fee?
- I am being asked to drive 2.5 hours round trip, with no assurance of any income.
- What's the upside to this gig?
I summed up my objections to him as follows:
- Why does the soundman get a guarantee and we don't?
- I object to paying for someone I didn't have a hand in hiring.
- What happens if the door doesn't cover his fee?
- I am being asked to drive 2.5 hours round trip, with no assurance of any income.
- What's the upside to this gig?
Sound man makes $300 for the night
Band guys each make $20 after the split.
Or, worst case scenario, someone has to cough up cash to the venue to settle the
balance since only a handful of people showed up.
but on the other hand, Netflix has some really good shows to binge watch now!
Band guys each make $20 after the split.
Or, worst case scenario, someone has to cough up cash to the venue to settle the
balance since only a handful of people showed up.
but on the other hand, Netflix has some really good shows to binge watch now!
I am more or less in agreement with this statement. My objection to the soundman pay that is it's an in house PA. As others have pointed out, they are padding their income I have no doubt. There is no way the dude himself is getting $300, I just refuse to believe it. Plus, if I am paying $300 for a service, I get to pick the provider.
To your point about opening, yeah, spot on. All things being equal, had this band come to us and said "We are playing Club X, we'd like you to open. PA and back line is provided." Well, I'd be there. I told my drummer from the get go that if there is no pay, I'd do it if:
- it's close
- I can walk in with nothing but my bass
- the club will buy me a few beers
I'd be good to go even if I only got two of those three things.
As things have unfolded, I found none of those applies.
- It's far, 2.5 hours round trip.
- I have to schlep my amp.
- Likely no drink deal.
So I see a night where I haul my rig, blow $20 in gas, and have a $30 bar tab.
All for.........exposure........LOL.
I'll post the exchange between the drummer and me where he basically says this, more or less.
I'm 53 years old in a "strats and hats" gig (a term I heard here years ago for SRV type blues bands), which has more or less run its course after ten years. I am way past playing for exposure, at least in bars. The band is self indulgent for me, I like the music as its the music of my youth, but has little appeal to wider audience. The other two refuse to adjust what we do to play more venues (broaden the set list, tame the volume, be better at engaging the crowd). I do it simply because its usually fun, and I like the guys in the band (even though they frustrate me frequently). I have no expectation at this point that we will return to our 12/18 gigs a year. The few places that had us regularly have either closed, changed their musical direction (acoustic duos), or have zero scene happening. So we play a few gigs a year, and for now, I'm fine with that, plus playing a nearby blues jam, and the occasional sub gig. If I found a more regular band gig that would be great, but I have not found one yet. So I am ok with things as as they are, not really interested in "breaking into the Winchester scene" or whatever the drummer thinks this might do for us.
